02/26 - Transfigured Before Them

Transfigured Before Them

 Matthew 17:1-9

           

Do you like surprises? 

  > Probably depends on the kind...

  > The disciples had their share in Matthew 16 & 17:

    * In chapter 16, Jesus began to share the news of His death and resurrection. Peter rebuked (!) Jesus, and was compared to Satan. And Peter had identified Jesus as the Messiah.

  > Then in 17, the Transfiguration:

    * Always a little surprising, maybe because we're not sure what to make of it

    * Significant but mysterious, almost like a parentheses "(...)"

    * Let's try an "old preacher's trick," and move from reader to participant...

 

Viewing the Transfiguration...

  > As a reader of Scripture:

    *  Is this "solving" the problem of 16:28? "And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

    * He does look like the Jesus of the book of Revelations...

    * Jesus is standing "framed" by Moses and Elijah, by the "Law and the Prophets" (Elijah must come first? The "two witnesses" of Revelations?)

    * But wait, we're on a "high place"...

    * Moses on a mountain?  Mt. Sinai?  The giving of the Law?  Seeing God's "receding glory" as He passed by?

    * Elijah on a mountain?  He was also on Mt. Sinai in 1 Kings 19:11-12 “Go out and stand before me on top of the mountain,” the Lord said to him. Then the Lord passed by and sent a furious wind that split the hills and shattered the rocks—but the Lord was not in the wind. The wind stopped blowing, and then there was an earthquake—but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake there was a fire—but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the soft whisper of a voice."

    * The "high place" was where Moses and Elijah met with God.  And here is Jesus transfigured before them...

  > As the disciples:

    * Expecting Jesus had come to defeat the Romans and institute God's (military) rule on Earth, their thoughts might have been, "well, FINALLY!"

    * Jesus, transfigured, on a high place (maybe in the clouds?) would have fit right in line with their expectations of the Messiah.  Next would come the wrath of God on the unbelievers (us!).

    * Basically, after the shock, they would have set back to watch God move into long-awaited action

    * They were expecting to be spectators

    * Are we different when we think "the Day of the Lord"?

  > As Jesus

    * Hard to imagine ourselves there, "into" the mind of the Transfigured Lord who is never more "Other" than now

    * But we do know this: He knew what was to follow.

    * He knew Peter would betray Him

    * He knew the cross was before Him

    * This was the "tragedy" of the Transfiguration, this moment of power and glory, before the trip down the mountain into pain and sacrifice...

 

The Unexpected Triumph

  > Up until this point, the Old Testament program for the Day of the Lord was going forward without a hitch. 

    * As Peter proved, even when Jesus tried to tell them about His suffering and death, they couldn't seem to "hear" Him

    * The Transfiguration had to leave the 3 disciples wondering, "why did the glory fade?"

  > We are the true parentheses...

    * The Gospel, grace, Christianity, the dying-and-rising Messiah...  All of this hidden in, yet perfectly consistent with, the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible)

    * God "pressed the pause button" on the Day of Vengeance, to usher in the Day of Redemption for each of us.

  > No better way to head into Lent, a time of self examination and humbling ourselves before God, than to be thankful for this extraordinary chance we have been given, this amazing Promise of Life in Christ!